Method for packaging in a container a product containing different miscible ingredients

ABSTRACT

The method of packaging a receptacle ( 2 ) with a product comprising different miscible ingredients comprises the steps of filling the receptacles ( 2 ) in part with a first portion of the ingredients in a first filling unit ( 4 ) comprising a series of filling stations ( 5 ), of transferring the receptacles to at least one second filling unit likewise comprising a series of filling stations ( 9 ), and of successively finishing off the filling of the receptacles with the remainder of the ingredients.

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of packaging areceptacle with a product comprising different miscible ingredients.

[0002] Filling installations are known, for example installations usingrotary carrousels that comprise a feed vessel associated with a seriesof filling stations. When a product comprising a mixture of differentmiscible ingredients is to be introduced into the receptacles, themixture is initially prepared with all of its ingredients and it isintroduced into the feed vessel prior to putting the fillinginstallation into operation. Such a packaging method is satisfactorywhen a very large number of receptacles are to be filled with a productof constant composition, and when the total volume of the filledreceptacles corresponds substantially to the content of the feed vessel.

[0003] Nevertheless, when it is desired to change the composition of theproduct to be packaged, for example when it is desired to switch frompackaging a whole milk to a semi-skimmed milk or a skimmed milk, or whenpackaging a product in which the properties vary as a function of thedifferent ingredients mixed together, it is necessary initially tocalculate the quantity of product that is to be introduced into the feedvessel of the installation as a function of receptacles that are to befilled, and then to clean the feed vessel and fill it with the newproduct that is to be packaged.

[0004] This gives rise to a significant loss of time every time theproduct is changed, so it is not economically conceivable to packagedifferent products in short runs, each comprising a small number ofreceptacles. When batches comprising receptacles containing differentproducts need to be prepared, it is therefore necessary to package eachproduct in a long run of receptacles which are stored and which mustsubsequently be handled so as to make up different batches. Thosevarious operations significantly increase the overall cost of packaging.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,211 discloses a machine for making up paintto a color on demand, starting from a base tint. That machine has asingle filling station and it is necessary to store pots containing thevarious base tints. That machine is therefore not suitable for quicklymaking up batches of pots of respective particular compositions.

[0006] Patent documents Nos. GB 2 178 015 and EP 0 853 041 disclose aninstallation comprising two filling machines interconnected by atransfer device. Nevertheless, that installation is not intended formixing different ingredients but for packaging a single substance thattends to foam, with filling in two stages being provided merely to allowthe foam to collapse prior to finishing off filling. Those documentscontain no hint suggesting the use of a similar installation forpackaging products of various compositions.

[0007] The invention provides a method of packaging receptacles with aproduct comprising different miscible ingredients, the method comprisingthe steps of filling receptacles partially with a portion of theingredients in a first filling unit comprising a series of fillingstations, of transferring the receptacles to at least one second fillingunit likewise comprising a series of filling stations, and ofsuccessively finishing off filling of the receptacles with the remainderof the ingredients.

[0008] Thus, merely by modifying the proportions of the ingredientsintroduced into a receptacle at each of the filling units, and withoutit being necessary to modify the composition of the substance in thefilling vessel in each filling unit, it is possible to obtain at theoutlet from the installation receptacles that contain products withvarious compositions. In particular, when packaging milk, it suffices toprovide two filling units, with the feed vessel of one of themcontaining whole milk while the feed vessel of the other filling unitcontains skimmed milk, thus enabling batches of bottles to be made upcomprising bottles that contain whole milk, bottles that containsemi-skimmed milk, and bottles that contain skimmed milk.

[0009] In an advantageous version of the method of the invention, theingredients introduced into a receptacle in each filling unit aredetermined to correspond with the receptacle, e.g. by reading a codecarried by the receptacle. Each receptacle thus automatically receivesthe various ingredients for making up the composition specified for thatreceptacle.

[0010] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appearon reading the following description of an implementation of the methodof the invention given with reference to the sole accompanying FIGUREwhich is a diagrammatic view of an installation enabling the method ofthe invention to be implemented.

[0011] With reference to the FIGURE, the installation shown comprises aninlet conveyor 1 conveying receptacles to a transfer device 3 serving tointroduce the receptacles 2 successively into a first filling unit 4comprising a series of filling stations 5 connected by pipes 6 to a feedvessel 7.

[0012] At the outlet from the first filling station 7, the receptaclesare taken up by a transfer device 8 which introduces them into a fillingstation 9 of a second filling unit 10 likewise comprising a series offilling stations 9 which are connected by pipes 11 to a feed vessel 12.At the outlet from the second filling unit, the receptacles 2 are takenup by a transfer device 13 which takes them to a conveyor 14 so as tobring them to the following workstation, for example a closing stationor a wrapping station.

[0013] The installation shown also has a sensor 15 placed facing thereceptacles at the moment they are introduced by the transfer device 3into the first filling unit 4. The sensor 15 is connected to a controlunit 16 which controls the quantity of the ingredients introduced intothe receptacle in each filling station, as represented by the arrowsdrawn as pairs of fine lines.

[0014] When a receptacle 2 is introduced into the first filling unit,the sensor 15 detects a code carried by the receptacle, for example itreads a bar code, and it transmits the code to the control unit 16 whichalso receives in conventional manner information concerning the ordernumber of the filling station 5 that is to receive the receptacle. Thecontrol unit 16 thus establishes correspondence between a receptacle andthe filling station in which the receptacle is introduced. The codecarried by the receptacle is representative of the composition that thereceptacle is to receive, and the control unit is thus in a position toensure that the required quantities of each substance contained in thefeed vessels of the various filling units are introduced. For example,when packaging milk, it is possible to provide for the feed vessel 7 ofthe first filling unit 4 to contain skimmed milk while the feed vessel12 of the second filling unit 10 contains whole milk. When the codecorresponding to semi-skimmed milk is detected by the sensor 15, thenthe control unit 13 causes the receptacle to be half-filled only in thefilling station corresponding to the first filling unit 4, with theremainder being filled in the filling station corresponding thereto inthe second filling unit 10.

[0015] In this context, it should be observed that the correspondenceestablished initially between a receptacle 2 and a filling station 5 inthe first filling unit 4 is translated automatically on transfer via thetransfer device 8 into correspondence between the same receptacle and afilling station 9 in the second filling unit 10.

[0016] If the bar code carried by the receptacle corresponds to skimmedmilk, then the receptacle is completely filled in the first filling unit4. In contrast, if the bar code corresponds to whole milk, then thereceptacle receives nothing as it passes through the first filling unit4 and it is completely filled as it passes through the second fillingunit 10.

[0017] It will be observed that this makes it possible to make upbatches containing desired numbers of receptacles for each of thecompositions that can be provided by means of the installation. It isthus possible to make up directly batches that match an order from aclient, for example a retailer, such that at the outlet from the fillinginstallation batches can be made up directly for shipping purposes.

[0018] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the implementationdescribed, and variant implementations can be applied thereto withoutgoing beyond the ambit of the invention as defined by the claims. Inparticular, although the invention is illustrated with respect to animplementation in which correspondence is established between areceptacle and the filling station on which it is filled by reading abar code, it is possible to implement the method of the invention byprogramming the control unit 16 directly so as to fill a determinednumber of receptacles with a given composition and then change thecomposition and fill a new series of receptacles.

[0019] Although the embodiment of the installation shown has only twofilling units, it is possible to adapt the number of filling units tothe number of different compositions that it is desired to make fromdifferent ingredients without it being necessary to modify the nature ofthe substances contained in the various feed vessels. For this purpose,each feed vessel may contain either a single ingredient or a mixture ofingredients, providing the mixture is common to the variouscompositions. The receptacles are transferred to the various stationscorresponding to the elements needed to make up a required composition,thus making it possible to finish off the filling of the receptacleswith the remaining ingredients in succession.

[0020] When the receptacles carry a bar code but do not have aprivileged orientation at the moment they are loaded into the fillingstation, it is possible to provide a plurality of sensors in order to besure that the bar codes can be read regardless of the orientation of thereceptacle.

1/ A method of packaging receptacles (2) with a product comprisingdifferent miscible ingredients, the method being characterized in thatit comprises the steps of filling the receptacles (2) in part with afirst portion of the ingredients in a first filling unit (4) comprisinga series of filling stations (5), of transferring the receptacles to atleast one second filling unit likewise comprising a series of fillingstations (9), and of successively finishing off the filling of thereceptacles with the remainder of the ingredients. 2/ A method accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the ingredients introduced in eachfilling unit are determined in correspondence with the receptacle. 3/ Amethod according to claim 2, characterized in that the correspondencewith the receptacle is established by detecting a code carried by thereceptacle (2).